Plumb-level.



No. 633,589. I Patented Sept. 26, |899. F. B. HINKSUN & W. l. CRAWFORD.

P L U M B L E V E L (Application tiled Dec. 2, 1897.)

Ulu Modal.)

ilNiTEn STATES PATENT EEICE.

FRANK B. IIINKSON ANI) WILLIAM I. CRAVFRD, OF NE\V ASTLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

PLUME-LEVEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 633,589, dated September 26, 1899.

Application filed December 2, 1897. Serial No. 660,494. (No model.)

T0 all 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK B. HINKsoN and WILLIAM I. CRAWFORD, residing at New Castle, in the county of Lawrence and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Plumb-Level, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to improvements in plu rnb-levels; and the object thereofis to provide a simple construction of level in which the pointer is visible and its position ascertainable from the top and'sides of the level, so that a plumb-level is provided which is very convenient in use.

With the above object in view the invention consists of the stock having a transversely-extending passage in which a cylindrical open-ended casing of transparent material is positioned, a ring located centrally within the casing and V-shaped in cross-section, with graduations on the inner and outer surfaces of its sides, and crystals positioned upon the respective sides of the stock and closing the open ends of the cylinder, said crystals having central bearin gs on their inner sides to receive the ends of an arbor, said arbor having a plumb-bob located centrally thereon and havin g its ends forked or bifurcated, with the forks thereof engaging the inner faces of the V-shaped ring, the forks at one end having arrow-heads and those at the opposite end provided with weights, said ring being slotted at the point of the V at its upper end, so that,

a portion of the plumb-bob is visible through a slot formed in the top edge of the stock and communicating with the transversely-extending passage.

The invention further consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and afterward speciiically pointed out in the claims.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which our invention most nearly appertains to make and use the same, we will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, having reference to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure I is a perspective view of a plumblevel embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the saine. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view. Fig. 5 iS a perspective view of the arbor and plumb-bob. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the cylindrical casing with the V- shaped ring positioned therein. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the crystals. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the V-shaped ring.

Like letters of reference mark the same parts wherever they occur in the various iigures of the drawings.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A indicates the stock, which is provided with a transversely-extending passage to receive the open-ended cylindrical casing B, which is formed of glass or other transparent material. Positioned centrally within the casing and beneath the vertical slot C, extending inwardly from the upper edge of the stock and communicating with the transversely-extending passage, is a V-shaped ring D, each of the sides of the ring being graduated on the inner and outer surfaces thereof, as illustrated at a and'b, respectively. The sides of .the V at their outer edges are formed with the iianges C, which engage the inner wall of the casing, while said ring is slotted at the point of the V, as illustrated at E, said slot being located beneath the vertical slot C of the stock.

F are crystals which are secured upon opposite sides of the stock and close the open ends of the cylindrical casing, said crystals being provided on their inner sides with the central bearings G to receive the ends of the arbor H.

Mounted centrally upon the arbor is the plumb-bob I, which'rotates on the inner side of the point of the V-shaped ring and at its upper end is bifurcated, with the bifurcations e and f moving upon the inner sides of the respective sides of the V-shaped ring and provided with arrow-heads, which coact with the graduations on the sides of said V. The opposite end of said plumb-bob is provided with the forks J and K,which are also bent to move on the inner surfaces of the respective sides of the V and are provided at their extremities with the balls or weights L.

In operation the plumb-level is used as is an ordinary level, and the position of the IOO plumb-bob may be ascertained by glancing in through either one of the crystals, the pointer e being Visible from one side and the pointer f from the opposite side of the stock. The position of the plumb-bob may be also ascertained by looking through `the vertical slot C of the stock, as the slot in the ring is of sufficient Width to render a portion of each pointer visible therethrough and the position thereof in relation to the scale upon the upper surfaces of the sides of the V-shaped ring readily ascertained.

From the above description it will be seen that We have produced a very simple construction of plumb-level which is very convenient in operation, inasmuch as the position of the plumb-bob may be readily ascertained from either the sides or top thereof.

While We have illustrated and described the best means now known to us for carrying out our invention, We do not Wish to be understood as restricting ourselves to the exact details of construction shown and described, but hold that any slight changes or variations such as might suggest themselves to the ordinary mechanic will properly fall Within the limit and scope of our invention.

Having thus fully described our invention, what We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a plumb-level, the combination with the stock provided with a transversely-extending cylindrical passage of transparent plates closing the ends of said passage, said plates being provided with bearings on their inner sides, an arbor mounted in said bearings and carrying the plumb-bob I in a ring positioned in said cylindrical casing consisting of one piece and Vshaped in cross-section and provided With grad nations upon the inner and outer surfaces of its respective sides, and also slotted in line with the slot of said stock, substantially as described.

2. In a plumblevel the combination with the cylindrical casing in the stock of the transparent ends provided with arbor-bearings into which the arbor-points of the plumb-bob are adapted to fit, of a one-piece ring provided with diverging flan ges and slotted in line with the slot in the stock, substantially as described.

FRANK B. HINKSON. WILLIAM I. CRAWFORD.

Vitnesses to Frank B. Hinkson:

J. ALFERD MILLER, GEO. W. MILLER.

NVitnesses to Villiain I. Crawford:

CHAs. E. BROOK, CLARENCE SHAW. 

